To Shatter The Sky
by Rectangular Prism
Summary: AU. The World is covered in wreckage from an apocalyptic war, and the sky has long been forgotten in a perpetual fog. But when Ludwig finds a mysterious young man in the ruins, he discovers a power that threatens to shatter the very sky itself...
1. Generation Lost

**Title:** To Shatter the Sky

**Fandom: **Axis Powers: Hetalia

**Rating: **T

**Genre: **Angst

**Pairing(s): **Germany x Italy, sundry other pairings

**Summary: **AU. The World is covered in wreckage from an apocalyptic war, and the sky has long been forgotten in a perpetual fog. But when Ludwig finds a mysterious young man in the ruins, he discovers a power that threatens to shatter the very sky itself...

**A/N: **I've been excited to write this. Under planning for sometime, I should say that this is going to be a very large project.

…Read on.

**Disclaimer: **Nope

* * *

><p><strong>To Shatter the Sky<strong>

_**An Axis Powers: Hetalia fan fiction by Triangular Prism**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

* * *

><p>Radio-static initially roused Ludwig from an exhausted sleep, but the voice that followed was what actually made him open his eyes.<p>

"_Oooi! West, wakey wakey eggs and bacey! Or whatever. That's what Alfred does to Arthur all the time, so I figured I'd try! Unless crawlers have gotten you. In which case that'll kind of suck, because it'll be a pain in the ass to find your body—"_

"Gilbert." A heavy, sleep-laden voice growled out the words into the air as the offending radio was seized. "Shut… _up._"

"_Woo-hoo! You're alive! That makes me feel a lot better. Rise and shine bruder, this is your 7a.m wake up call!"_

"…What?"

"_Okay fine, I don't actually know what that means, I heard it on some of those radio tapes. But it has been exactly…" _There was a pause. "_Uh, eight hours of sleep time, so… Oi! West! Wakey wakey, eggs and—_"

"I get it! Shut up!" With that, the link was terminated.

All the annoying rabble aside, Ludwig Beilschmidt smoothed blond strands of bedridden hair aside, blinking away the blur in his eyes. All that met his gaze was the mottled gray of the tarp above his head. While it would have been wonderful to fall back to sleep for a few more minutes at least, he knew such a luxury outside of base camp would be dangerous. The less time he spent in one place, the better.

With a deep sigh, Ludwig shed the warm cover of his sleeping bag, already fully clothed. He always slept in his clothes for overnight treks. All that really was required was to roll it up and tie it back to the pack that had served as a pillow. He did so, before flicking the radio back on. Not that the voice had ceased speaking...

"_Ugh, bro! That is so not cool cutting me off like that! What if you get spontaneously attacked and I'm back here sitting on my ass not knowing if you're mauled or not? Don't turn the freaking radio off on me!"_

_ "He's right, you know."_ A new voice joined, crackling as it came into range.

"Oh. Hello, Kiku," Ludwig sigh. He cautiously lifted the edge of the tarp a few inches, allowing tendrils of gray mist to slip through. There was no sign of movement beyond.

"_Please be more careful with your safety, Ludwig," _the voice of Kiku was chastising, "_You are alone and far from base. If something happens, then you need your radio __to wire for help. If it is off, we cannot help you."_

"Fine, fine."

A decision was made; Ludwig abruptly stood, and _passed through _the ceiling of the tarp entirely. With a hiss, and a scattering of static, the protective camouflage deactivated. Mottled grays and blacks fizzled into lines of green, before receding in a rapid pattern of decay all the way to the ground. All that remained was a thin metal cord, looping in a wide oval around the makeshift camp.

Now light and easy to carry, it only took a few secure twists to bundle it up and stow it in the top of his pack. Ludwig may not have known much about Old War technology, but he had to admit that at times like these it was certainly handy.

Finally, with the tight camouflage gone, Ludwig stood completely exposed to his surroundings.

Around him loomed a mountain of rubble. Cold, dead concrete, broken and crumbling in the remains of what had once been soaring buildings. Metal protruded like great black trees, twisted and melted beyond recognition. And then there was the fog...

"_We are just waiting for Alfred. He hasn't arrived yet..." _Kiku said, sounding slightly exasperated. Ludwig rolled his eyes; but not while scooping his tiny radio from the ground. In actuality, it was a small, thin rod, shiny and black. A ribbon of light ran from beginning to end, pulsing with two strong lights as it transmitted. Nestled in Ludwig's ear was the matching piece, a small bud that remained securely attached by the thin black band that ran around his head.

He was stowing the radio transmitter in his belt when the it finally cracked for the third time, a third light blinking into existence. With it came a babbling, frantic voice.

"_Oh! Oh geeze, sorry guys! I overslept, and Arthur didn't wake me up! Thanks a lot, Arty!" _This last sentence was directed to someone in the background, and was promptly followed by distant shouts that sounded like insults.

"_Please, Alfred."_

"_Al, c'mon. This is my bro we're leading here."_

"_Right! Right, sorry, I'll get warmed up." _

A loud whine started up, making Ludwig wince before it faded away to a quiet purr.

"_So, Luddy!" _Alfred's voice chirped up, "_How'd you sleep? Did the camo work? I programmed it myself! Well, part of it, since it was already sort of built but I just tweaked it so it would blend a bit better with the ground so you'd just look like a chunk of concrete and-"_

He continued to chatter away, beyond cheerful, but Ludwig tuned him out. Alfred was always like this. Instead, the man simply shouldered his pack, and prepared to set off.

"I'm preparing to climb down now," he spoke, his voice transmitted to the three beyond. That being said he took a careful step from his camp... and stood at the edge of a void.

The tiny outcropping he had slept in for the night, was in truth on top of a small mountain of rubble, even if it barely compared to the towers still around it. With a near sheer cliff of glass and stone in front of him, it only illustrated how deep the ground was buried in it.

Ludwig began his preparations; he stretched. He stretched his arms first, and then his legs, before dropping to complete a quick set of push-ups. Then sit ups. When his limbs finally felt limber enough for his liking, out came a pair of heavy gloves from one of his many pockets. The pair was thick and heavy; meant especially for his climbing and were well worn because of it. They were fingerless, granting him ability to cling and , but also protected his palms from shards or rough concrete.

"_Okay! The system's up and running!" _Alfred broke in, "_Are you guys all ready?"_

"_Finally! I'm on standby."_

"_Standing by."_

"I'm ready to go. Not hotspots?"

"_Absolutely none! I'm running the trace now." _

The radio transmitter abruptly let out a loud squawk, and a flare of white light. Hairs on the back of Ludwig's neck rose as he felt a static settle from above, an uncomfortable feeling that encompassed his entire body before dying away.

"_I have him on grid now." _

"_Kesesesese! Don't fall and break your neck. It'll be a pain to find your-" _

"Right, body. I heard. Have a little faith, won't you?"

"_What're you talking about?_ _I always have faith in my baby brother~" _

Even with the chatter, there was an expectant air now that everything was in place. Ludwig moved a toe, balancing on the edge of the void, taking a deep breath. It was time to relax, to not think about exactly how far down he would climb. It was for this reason he was the explorer, the scavenger- with his build, he was the one most suited for the physical task of retrieving what they searched for.

This trip? Salvaging much-needed power cells, for the life-supporting equipment back at base camp.

He opened his eyes, carefully slicking back a few strands of escaped blond hair. It wouldn't do to be distracted now. Stepping down, he tested his weight on the first crevice he found, and began his long, laboring journey downwards.

Naturally it took a long time. Clinging like a spider to the edge of the ruined cliff, every movement was agonizing slow- Ludwig had to calculate each grab he made, each shift of his foot. His muscles strained, bulging against the fabric of a long-sleeved shirt, and his face was red from exertion. But he moved, slowly but surely, downwards.

Gilbert, Kiku, and Alfred usually grew bored with the wait. They were required to stay on as his lookouts, but with the climbs Ludwig took, some stretching for hours, fidgeting always happened. Kiku was usually good about hiding it, but the other two...

"_...Hey West. Knock knock."_

"..."

"_Knock knoooock."_

"Gilbert, just... no."

"_...Who's there?"_

"Alfred, don't encourage him."

"_Oran-"_

"What did I say!"

They fell silent at Ludwig's sharp order. The climber paused a moment on a small outcrop, rubbing his temples in irritation.

"_Perhaps I could read something?" _Kiku offered a while later, the silence finally getting to him. "_I have some nice poetry encryptions I could pull up, or-"_

"_Or what, your dirty porn books? My bro doesn't want any part of your perverted hobby dude," _Gilbert cut across, cackling, and Kiku instantly spluttered protests, most likely turning a bright red on his end of the radio. Alfred broke into wild laughter, and the mixture of noise sent a sharp throb through poor Ludwig's temples...

"Will everyone just SHUT UP?" he roared, lowed enough to cow all three troublemakers on the other side...

At that very moment he made an ill-timed grab for a nearby handhold- only to have it crumble away under his fingers. He was leaning forward with nothing to support him from falling. Under his badly aligned weight, Ludwig's feet slipped, sending him flailing and for a hair-raising minute he was swinging in space, the void looming beneath him.

Then his hand slammed back to the stone, seizing a more solid outcropping, and he was safe, grappling spread-eagled on the side of the face. The man panted heavily, sweat streaming down his face.

A deadly silence had fallen. The others, having heard Ludwig's muffled curses, felt something bad had happened... but were afraid to ask.

"_Uh... everything okay there, bro?"_ Gilbert asked weakly.

Ludwig let out a very long, very controlled breath.

"The will be," he began in utter monotone, "Absolutely _no more _talking while I am climbing. _None at all._"

Needless to say there was radio silence for the rest of the climb.

* * *

><p>Shadows fell the deeper he descended. When at long last, Ludwig touched down on mostly level solid ground, his legs went boneless, nearly giving out. He steadied himself to the cheering of the radio.<p>

"_Awesome! I don't know how you can do it, dude!"_

"_That's my little bro for ya~ Luddy! Your big brother is super proud of you!"_

"Right..."

Ludwig allowed himself a ten-minute break on a nearby bar of metal. How long he had been climbing, he didn't know. The time he spent always blurred together no matter what climb he was on. His focus was only ever on reaching the end in one piece.

While his lungs calmed and his trembling muscles soothed themselves, Ludwig surveyed the new area with a sharp eye. It was unfamiliar to him; he'd ventured particularly far on this specific trip. The fog that glinted above wasn't as thick here, but instead there was decay, and shadow.

Deep down as he was, the ruined buildings of ages past were toppled against each other like a giant's playthings, toys thrown away and forgotten. It blocked any view of the sky save for a few places where mist streamed weakly through. The air was musty. As far as he could tell there was a fairly level path of ground he could follow, and much further ahead he thought he could see the light from a larger area.

"_Ludwig? Ludwig, can you hear me?" _Yet another voice was speaking to him, and in the background was the sound of Alfred complaining. His headset must have been taken. The voice repeated itself, sounding worried.

"Yes, Arthur, I can hear you," Ludwig said warily, "What is it?"

"_'What is it?' You're honestly asking me that? You've just completed a four-hour climb, old boy, I need to check up on you. Do you feel any particular strain anywhere? Do some simple stretches." _

He really didn't want to comply, but it wouldn't do to disobey the orders of their medic. Thus with groaning muscles Ludwig did as he was told, following Arthur's instructions.

"_Nothing? Good. Now roll your ankle and tell me how it feels, as you sprained it last time." _The ankle was obediently rolled. _"No pain? Very good. Now, remember to take those nutrient and water pills I gave you. You must recover the energy you've burned if you want to come up the same way. Alfred, will you wait just a moment!"_

"_Artyyyyyy, gimme back my mike!"_

"_Bloody hell will you let go of me! My job is just as important as yours, if not more- hey! HEY! SET ME DOWN!"_

There was a scuffle from the sounds of it, and much swearing on Arthur's part before Alfred recovered his position. Gilbert was chuckling.

"_The hero is back! Luddy, I just want to let you know there might be a little rock shower coming in any moment now."_

Instantly Ludwig tensed.

"What? Where?" he asked sharply, echoed by the worry of Kiku and Gilbert.

"_Don't worry, it isn't huge," _Alfred hastily assured him, "_From where you are, I don't think it's big enough to cause major damage. Just in case though, hug the sides or hole up somewhere, 'kay? I don't think it'll last longer than a minute. Over and out~"_

No sooner had he ceased speaking that the sound of trickling rock filteredin from above. Ludwig glanced upwards, frowning deeply. Then he made for a small alcove in a pile of metal and stone. Seconds later, the toppled buildings groaned; a deep, echoing sound followed by the sound of a thousand pebbles beating against them all at once. As Alfred had said, though, the buildings were sheltering him from the worst of the damage. Dust was falling from grinding stone, and a few shattered remnants trickled through gaps, but none fell near him. Inwardly he sigh with relief.

The shower didn't even last thirty seconds. Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over, the last of the dust settling and the sounds fading away. Silence fell again. Ludwig counted a full minute, a standard safety rule in the case of stray debris, and when nothing else happened, he emerged.

"_See? Wasn't that bad. Still lucky you were under those buildings though, might've hurt otherwise. Anyway, you ready for the hunt? You're getting closer. Apparently the grid says that..."_

Instructions were issued, and Ludwig listened carefully. Blue eyes followed the tunnel of darkness to focus on the faint traces of an existing trail; a good few miles of hiking, all through rough, uneven terrain.

He tightened the straps of his pack.

* * *

><p>"...<em>And so then Elizabeta got fed up with the guy and brained him with the thing! Vash chased 'im out pretty quick after that -man, did the guy run, you should have seen 'im- but he left all his stuff behind! Most of it turned out to be junk after all, but Lizzie totally kept whatever it was he was trying to sell her. Still doesn't know what it's for though, we think maybe for keeping liquids-"<em>

Mindless chatter. It was all there was to have anyhow. Alfred was usually the one to supply it the most readily, as Ludwig was not much of a talker and Gilbert tended to doze off it there was not much action for him to be had. Kiku was naturally silent as well. Luckily, Alfred almost always had enough energy to talk for three, whether the others liked it or not.

At least, it could be sort of refreshing, especially in the frustrating times when Ludwig struggled with a particular difficult obstacle in the terrain. Such as now.

"Alfred?"

"_Yeah, buddy?_"

"Why exactly am I here again?" Disgruntled, the blond was standing back, surveying the path in front of him. The final roadblock preventing him from moving on, out of the gloomy alleyway he'd climbed into was a particularly stubborn pile of metal and concrete. It was too loose to climb, but too large to plausibly shift out of the way...

"_Funny story, actually!" _Heedlessly, Alfred chattered on. "_I was just minding my own business, checkin' out all the grids, when all of a sudden, there's this whole new section I never saw before!"_

Maybe if he used that ledge there to jump past..? No, that'd bring the whole thing down, and being buried was no fun...

"_It was so cool! Naturally I had to show it off to everyone since _I _found it first, and after the other tech guys totally hero-worshiped me for being so cool-"_

"Moving on, please."

"_...Uh, yeah. Still, it was sort of suspicious. So, me and the guys checked it out a bit more. Turns out it'd been there all along, only the fog was screwing up our signals._"

Strange. Ludwig absently tugged at a thick piece of twisted metal- an I-beam, by the looks of it. An uncharted area previously undetectable to even Alfred's grid... then, just as suddenly accessible...

"_You know the rest. I checked it out for hot spots, then showed it to Vash and Roderich. Which is what brings us way out here! Yay!" _

"Easy for you to say," Ludwig muttered. He grunted, feeling the metal beam suddenly shift a few inches. A few pebbles came falling from above.

"_Staying aware of your surroundings is still prudent, of course," _Kiku added, popping into the conversation. "_Just because it is clear does not mean it is safe." _

Ludwig had half-tuned out at the moment, since high above him the very top of the pile was shuddering, wobbly dangerously. The blond looked at the metal beam in his hands, just a few inches freer than it had been a minute before.  
>"Oh, s<em>cheisse..." <em>

"_Huh? What's that?"_

With a rumble, and an explosion of dust, the entire wall of rubble promptly fell on him.

* * *

><p>.<p>

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[A/N]: I want to thank you right now for taking the time to read the beginning of this story. It has been under development for quite a while now. I was sort-of-vaguely-not-really inspired by a great fic, 'You can't take the sky from me' but mainly, because I wanted to write something... well... epic?

This first chapter is actually only part of the original full first chapter, but... I felt it was dragging on with too much for a beginning, so chapter two (or chapter one part two?) Will be up tomorrow.

TSTS will be a _very _project, but I plan to stick through with it until the end! All I ask is that you read, and enjoy, and maybe review this first chapter so I know if I'm doing it right.

Thanks,

~RectangularPrism


	2. The First Drop

**To Shatter The Sky**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

><p>Ludwig swore, dropping the beam and trying to jump away, if not for a stone that caught his ankle and sent him tumbling head over heels. Several chunks of debris struck perilously close as he fell, all the way back down the pile. It was probably lucky he fell as he did however, for a giant cloud of dust and grit rose as the blockage began to slowly collapse on itself. Rock struck rock, metal shifted, and support disappeared with the shifting lack of balance. All of it came rushing down in a small avalanche... and missed Ludwig entirely, from where he lay groaning to the side, slightly dazed.<p>

"_Whoa __man. __That __didn't __sound __good; __everything __OK?__" _Alfred's annoyingly ignorant voice crackled over the radio.

"I'll get... back to you... on that..." His ankle was throbbing. Great. He'd already sprained it once...

The rush of stone was subsiding, save for the sound of something very large sliding from above. Then, silence, dust settling once again. More importantly there was light streaming through his eyelids, and risking the dust Ludwig cracked them open.

Of course, being flat on one's back didn't help one visually much. Cursing the rock that had knocked him over, he eased himself slowly up. He hadn't fallen too far; just off to the side and in a small alcove. At the edge of his feet lay a a jumbled mat of debris from where the blockage had spread. He'd been fortunate enough this time to avoid being buried, but mentally Ludwig reminded himself to generally be more careful in future attempts to clear suspiciously balanced walls of rubble.

The man clambered to his feet, gingerly putting pressure on his ankle. Not bad, but... Arthur would have to take a look at it when he returned. That being done, Ludwig deflected the questions on his radio with short, terse 'fine's and hauled himself up a piece of concrete, the rough stone rubbing roughly at his clothes. Now there was a lot more loose terrain to deal with, even though the darkness had lessened with the new addition of light pouring through. If he didn't want to aggravate his ankle any further, he'd have to watch his step and tread lightly...

Ludwig looked up. Sure enough, the way was clearer than it had before. Mist was settling rapidly in, and he squinted, trying to see what the large, dark object in front of him was—

Gilbert, far on the other end of the transmission, felt his lungs cease functioning when a choked scream came filtering through his headset. Similarly Kiku and Alfred dropped everything and rushed to their sets, panic descending in the air, as Ludwig was not the type to _scream _without good reason.

And Ludwig, underneath stories of rubble, was currently scrambling backwards in utter panic as his heart dropped into his stomach and his mouth was dry, and he was blindly feeling for anything on his person that might help him except he did _not __have __a __single __weapon__—_

In the middle of his panic, Ludwig fell. Again. Harder. A direct hit on the sliding ground covered in rubble, and as a result the back of his head collided with a chunk of concrete, and his field of vision was awash with stars. It didn't stop him from scrambling backwards over the ground, half-conscious. Alfred, Kiku, and Gilbert were shouting his his ear, demanding to know what was wrong, fear reflected in all of their voices, but he couldn't answer, wide eyes still fixed on the _thing_ in front of him...

Ludwig's back struck rock. He was stuck. At first, this nearly sent him into a nervous breakdown, but in the midst of it his normally logical find finally jump-started into action again.

_Calm. Down._

Breathing, short and erratic, was slowed as he forced himself to take deep, even breaths. _Do __not __lose __yourself. __Examine __the __surroundings. __What __is __wrong __with __this __picture?_ His brain was ordering, and he obeyed, calming his body's trembling and twitches, and rigidly raising his throbbing head to _look._

"_Ludwig! __Ludwig! __What __is __it? __I __heard __a __ton __of __noise __and __then __you __screamed __and__—"_

"_Bro? Little bro, speak to me, fucking say something you're freaking me out—"_

"_L-Ludwig? Are you in danger? Please, your heart-rate is—"_

"Alfred." A single word. The clamor subsided, cowed by the utterly flat monotone of Ludwig's voice.

"_Y-Yeah?__" _Alfred finally said in a tiny voice.

"Are you sure—are you _absolutely _sure that this area was swept and cleared?"

"_Uh...__yeah? __I __mean, __we __went __over __it __twice, __Roddy __and __Vash __wouldn't __have __let __us __go __if __it... __weren't...?__" _

"You were _sure_?" Ludwig's voice thundered, harsh and demanding.

"_Yes! __Yes! __I __was __sure! __What __the __hell __is __going __on?__" _Alfred finally shouted, to similar protest of Kiku and Gilbert, as Ludwig took one final gulp of air.

"I am asking," he said very, very calmly, " because there is currently a crawler right in front of me."

Dead quiet.

Then the radio exploded as three voices simultaneously started screaming in his ear. Gilbert was flipping out, gibbering that his little brother needed to haul ass as fast as he could and that he did _not_want him to die all alone in the middle of nowhere. Alfred was blubbering, apologizing over and over and begging for forgiveness. Even Kiku, who was most usually a voice of reason was speechless for a full minute before tightly and tersely telling Ludwig everything he knew about dispatching crawlers bare-handedly.

"Stop."

Nobody listened, or even heard.

"Hey. HEY. EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Ludwig roared, a vein sticking out in his forehead.

"_Shut __up?__" _Gilbert yelled hysterically, "_You're __telling __me __to __shut __up __when __you're __in __mortal __danger?__"_

"I am... not... in mortal danger." He'd been staring, inspecting the scene in front of him while the others panicked. And he'd confirmed that the large mass in front of him had not moved. At all. Even as he lost his head momentarily and flailed like an injured thing, which would have _surely _garnered instant attention.

And, he'd decided that...

"...I... think it's dead."

* * *

><p>Pebbles shifted underfoot. A bead of sweat ran down his neck as he inched forward, step by step.<p>

In front of him stretched the massive, unmoving form of the crawler.

...or what was left of it, anyway. The closer he moved, the more apparent it became that the thing was long dead. All that remained was a long, leathery body sunken and collapsed on itself. If he had to say a cause, it would be from the cavity in what had been its head. Obviously the wreckage had fallen on it a long time ago, killing it and blocking the way out.

Still, it was unnerving to be so close. Usually one was running like the wind in the opposite direction if there was even the suggestion of a crawler in the area, and here he was, literally standing over it— as best he could, anyway. Even dead and shrunken the creature was still as tall as him.

Dark pits stared at him emptily, from where the eyes had been once upon a time.

"Okay," Ludwig said quietly, "It is _very _dead."

A collective sigh of relief came over the radio.

"_Oh __man. __You __have __no __idea __how __glad __I __am __to __hear __that.__"_

"_Ludwig? __I'm... __sorry... __I'm __so __sorry, __I __never __picked __up __anything __on __the __grid...__I _still _haven't __picked __up __anything. __Shit, __I __have __no __idea __anymore...__"_

"Calm down Alfred. These things... happen, I suppose."

Ludwig prodded the body with his boot. Despite being dead, the hide was still tough. "What now, though, is what I'm asking."

"_...In __my __opinion, __I __would __not __be __against __a __strategic __retreat,__" _Kiku said quietly. "_However, __your __original __destination __is __quite __close...__"_

"_Screw __that,__" _Gilbert interrupted, "_I __want __you __to __get __the __hell __out __of __there. __Those __things __give __me __the __creeps, __and __I __don't __want __you __anywhere __near __a __place __where __there __might __be __more. __I __don't __care __if __Alfred's __grid __says __otherwise, __I __don't __trust __it!__"_

"_Hey!"_

"And Alfred? What is your opinion?" Ludwig asked patiently. He himself was undecided. It might be dead, but freak attacks were not uncommon.

"_Oh...__me?__" _There was a pause. _"__Well...__Yeah, __I'd __normally __say __get __out __of __there __too, __but...__you're __really, __really __close. __And... __we __kinda __need __those __parts.__"_

Arthur spoke quietly in the background.

"_Arty __says __he __doesn't __want __you __to __die, __but __if __we __don't __get __those __cells, __he'd __be __stretching __his __power __more __than __he'd __like. __They __might __burn __out __before __we __can __locate __anything __else.__"_

"_I don't believe this! You want stupid new parts over my own brother's life? What is wrong with you?" _

"_Well, everyone's lives at base camp are important too!"_

"_And you know what I say to base camp—"_

"Gilbert! That's enough."

Gilbert quieted, but grumbled faintly. Meanwhile, Ludwig had made up his mind, staring at the open patch of mist above him.

"I'm going," he said firmly, despite protests from his brother. "As Alfred has said, base camp is important. I've come too far to turn back now."

"_Very __well,__" _Kiku said gravely, over Alfred's whoop of excitement in the background, "_Then __it __is __most __important __that __you __keep __your __guard __up __until __you __can __leave __safely.__"_

"_I'm going to check the grid every minute! I'll let you know the second something pings, got it Luddy?"_

"_Screw this. This is stupid! Arthur, you take point, I need to take a leak."_

Protests as Gilbert left transmission in disgust, leaving Arthur to take his place.

"_Er. __Well. __Do __your __best, __lad.__"_

Ludwig shook his head, sighing. Still, his mind was made up. He would do what he did best, and salvage as he was expected.

With one last glance at the crushed head of the crawler, he set off, following the winding body upwards and outwards.

* * *

><p>This time, it was easier now that the previous obstacle was gone. The crawler didn't help, but Ludwig was careful to avoid it, stepping lightly besides it. Light and mist shone above him, alerting him to the destination above.<p>

It took a short climb again, rubble shifting under his feet, testing his balance as he slipped and slid up a much smaller wall of concrete. His ankle still hurt, as did the back of his head; he'd felt a sticky liquid other than sweat he was suspicious about... but it would have to wait until later. The gap was growing closer and closer by the minute until at last, Ludwig clambered up and out of the musty alleyway of buildings, leaving the body of the creature at the base of his climb.

He turned, looking one more time into the dark area. The site of his first climb, now hours away, lay in the distance, hidden with the gloom. He'd have to go back the same way. But for now, he had to look forward. If only all this mist wasn't in the way...

"_Hey, __are __you __outta __there?__"_ Alfred chirped, snapped out of his depression as if it had never happened. "_Your __reception __just __got __a __lot __better. __Hey! __I __bet __I __could __program __a __visual __for __you __if __you __wanted!__"_

"Yes, I'm out." Ludwig touched lightly at his headset, fixing it to rest better. "Can't see a thing through this mist, though..."

The grey mist rolled in front of him as if hearing his words. It was all one could ever see above ground, but sometimes it was thicker usual, something that perfectly described it right now. He couldn't even see any signs of more outcroppings. This could be dangerous, as it might mask hidden pitfalls and other hazards. "A visual would be quite useful right now...

"_Got __it, __man. __Standing __by...__"_

There was a sharp pain in Ludwig's left eye, and he winced. He always hated this part, though it couldn't be helped. Following immediately after was the hair-raising feeling of static settling over his body once again, until it died away...

Ludwig blinked, trying to clear his stinging eye. When he opened it again, there was something else he hadn't been looking at before: A bright green line, twisting away through the mist. The perfect pathfinder. Secretly he marveled again at Alfred's inventions that made everything _so_much easier when the situation called for it, and he resolved to thank him for it later. Of course, Alfred's ego didn't really need the stroking...

He followed the path laid out in front of him, stepping confidently now that he knew a way to go, but he remained wary. One wrong step could send him anywhere. The mist was still ruining his vision any further than a few feet away.

As he walked there was a loud beeping from his receiver, faint and garbled.

"_Huh? __Hang __on...__" _Alfred sounded confused. "_Weird. __False __alarm, __my __grid's __acting __up __for __some __reason. __When __your __visual __stops, __let __me __know. __Apparently __the __power __cells __are __imbedded __in __something __else.__"_

The pathfinder claimed his attention once again as the green began to flash, narrowing in on itself in indication of his proximity. The mist had cleared a bit to reveal a sizable wall of concrete spiraling upwards into the mist, and the pathfinder had dwindled away into a thin line that stopped directly on a large, unassuming piece of metal.

"Alfred?" Ludwig knelt down slowly, dropping his pack to the ground. "I think I found it."

"_What? __Lemme __check__— __WOAH! __YEAH! __IT __TOTALLY __IS! __KIKU, __ARTHUR, __SEE? __THIS __IS __SO __COOL!__"_

"_...Alfred, you realize I am right next to you..."_

"_Shut the hell up, twat! That's my ear you're blowing out!"_

Alfred could get just a tad excitable when it came to the actual salvaging. Ludwig took the time to run his hand over a smooth surface, marveling at how not a single scratch could be found.

He'd been on hundreds of scavenges. He'd seen a myriad of odds and ends, bits and pieces of relics from an age beyond, but every time he discovered something new, it sent a thrill through his fingertips that he was touching something from an age past— something different, something he couldn't understand.

The dull metal was cool to the touch. Engulfed in concrete, it was too much to dream of unearthing it. From a distance it was just that; a half-buried piece of metal, useless to the untrained eye and blending perfectly with the landscape. When everything was some variation on the color gray, things tended to blur together after a while.

Except, a cold piece of metal would not have brought them here. Alfred and his team were masters at pinpointing traces of old, left-over power sources. It was what kept them alive... what kept all of them alive.

Nothing was known of what the time before the War had been like, or what half the objects they found were for. Added to Ludwig's mental list of the unknown was this thing he knelt in front of, smooth, alien, and entirely foreign.

Still ghosting his fingers over it lightly, he flinched when it responded with a faint hum, the metal warming to the touch. It promptly died when he snatched his hand away. Never mind what _that_was about.

"Right," Ludwig sigh as he sat heavily, finally taking the weight off of his feet. "Now what? I can't see anything but a shell."

"_Oh, __the __power __cells __aren't __up __front?__"_

"No."

"_Hmm. __Okay __Luddy, __here's __what __we're __gonna __do. __Pull __out __the __sticky __I __gave __you __before __you __left.__"_

Sticky...? Bemused, the man did as he was told, rummaging the side pockets of his pack for anything that could remotely resemble something called a 'sticky...'

"Er, I—"

"_It __is __the __round, __blue __sphere, __Ludwig,__" _Kiku supplied before he could even ask.

So he wasn't going to admit a certain lack of technical knowledge on his end. That's what people like Alfred and Kiku were for, right?

Anyway... said blue sphere was luckily located at the very bottom of his pack. Another piece of metal that didn't look like much on the surface. Ludwig rolled it in his palm, staring at the thing quizzically. It was a metal ball. How on earth was it 'sticky?'

"_Now __place __it __wherever. __I __don't __know __what __you're __looking __at, __but __any __general __spot __should __work.__" _

To Ludwig's surprise, the small ball flew from his hand the moment he held it close. True to its name, with a loud clang it collided with the side of the metal and simply stuck there. No amount of tugging pulled it loose. Instead, a bright point of light pulsed from the top, flashing intermittently as it waited for further instruction.

...Which Alfred was not giving it, as the loud beeps from minutes ago had decided to start up again, even more loud and annoying before.

"_The __fu__— __Don't __panic! __It's __nothing. __What __the __hell, __I __don't __need __my __stuff __freaking __out __on __me __right __now.__" _Alfred was sound frustrated as the whine was silenced.

"_If __it's __so __annoying, _why _don't __you __turn __the __thing __off?__" _Arthur grumbled, still holding Gilbert's place, and there was a gasp.

"_Turn __it __off? __'Turn __it __off?' __Arty, __you __do _not _just __'turn __it __off' __like __that! __Geez, __that __would __mean __the __entire __safety __system, __what __is __wrong __with __you?__"_

"_Ah, Ludwig, Alfred is... occupied right now, so just watch the target. The sticky should be opening it up right now..."_

"What?" Ludwig squinted, not seeing anything special happening. "I don't...?"

With a squawk, another pulse of light, and a mechanical _whirr_ing noise, the metal casing glowed a bright, brilliant blue, and then promptly melted away. Ludwig shuffled quickly back as a puddle of goo splattered the ground before hardening into silvery disks. The sticky fell with it, half-melted itself and completely burned out.

"...What..."

"_Nano __particles. __I'd __be __happy __to __explain __it __to __you __some __other __time. __More __importantly, __the __power __cells?__" _

As fascinating as technology could be, Ludwig quickly dismissed the metal goo for more important matters.

Such as, the neat row of small, dull white canisters all in fastened in a line, the purpose of the entire scavenge.

For the first time, Ludwig allowed himself a very small, very tired grin.

"Everyone? Mission accomplished."

A very large cheer exploded from the headset. Well, mainly Alfred cheering, but he could almost see Kiku's relieved smile, and hear Arthur's happy chuckling. Wherever Gilbert was at the moment, hopefully he was proud, too.

"_Stupid __grid, __just__— __Okay! __Luddy? __How __many __are __there? __Get __as __many __as __you __can! __Grab __all __of __them! __This __is __great!__"_

Ludwig made a quick count as he fished a thin metal rod from his pack.

"Maybe... two dozen?" he guessed, twirling the rod between his fingers as he gauged how many he could carry, "Some of them might be burned out. I can't tell."

"_Just __grab __them __all, __we'll __check __'em __when __you __get __back... __Holy __crap, __give __me __a __break!__"_

As Ludwig set to prying the first of the precious cells out, he couldn't help but hear Alfred's swearing as the beeping started up for the third time, and did not stop.

"That better not mean a horde of crawlers is surrounding me," he said dryly. A cell sparked as he pulled it loose, burning his fingers. He jumped back, biting down a curse.

"_Aw, __dude, __no __way. __That's __a __different __signal. __I've __no __freaking __clue __what __this __one __means, __though. __Stupid __frequency! __Get __off __my __grid!__"_

"_Maybe __you __should __find __what __it __means, __instead __of __trying __to __get __rid __of __it,__" _Kiku suggested, "_It __must __mean __something __if __it __won't __stop...__"_

"_No. __It __doesn't. __I __mean... __I __think __it's __just __picking __up __some __sort __of __object. __Must __be __magnetic... __Ugh! __I __have __better __things __to __ping!__"_

By this point point Ludwig had successfully pried four cells free, wrapping them carefully in a spare shirt and stowing them away. He ignored the chatter, focused on his work.

"_...Uh...__"_

Alfred sounded puzzled. _"__That's __weird.__"_

"_What's __up? __Arthur __said __you __found __the __cells?__" _Gilbert's voice returned, back to its cocky cheerfulness.

"_Hey __Kiku, __what's __it __mean __if __something's __getting __bigger?__"_

"_What do you mean, bigger?"_

Ludwig paused, halfway through the cells.

"_That __is __strange. __I've __never __seen __a __frequency __like __that __before.__"_

"_The hell you guys looking at?"_

A breeze, ever so subtle, was running across his skin. He glanced up, feeling the draft on his face, ruffling his hair. It was... growing stronger. And the mist, so thick before, was being blown away with it. He could see faint outlines of concrete towers, piles of rubble...

"_Wait. __Wait, __wait, __wait __a __second__—"_

Something twisted in Ludwig's stomach.

"_Oh __my __god.__" _

On the other end of the radio, something was beginning to screech out a warning.

"_Oh __my __god, __Ludwig! __GET __OUT __OF __THERE!__" _

The plea went unheard, as Ludwig was too busy staring upwards at the large, looming shadow, growing bigger and bigger by the second, that was thundering down through the mists in all of its destructive glory.

He had enough of a mind to grab his pack, filled with the precious power cells, and throw himself to the ground with his body as a shield, since it wouldn't do for them to break when everyone back at base camp needed them so badly, and were waiting for him, _him _to bring them back...

And then the world shattered around him.

* * *

><p>Static.<p>

There were no voices in his ear. Strange, when he was used to hearing his team chatter to him at all hours...

Dust had trickled down his nose and throat. He couldn't breath. But when he coughed, harsh, racking coughs, the darkness he was swimming in spiked into crimson as a dull pain throbbed in his head.

Ludwig couldn't open his eyes. Faintly he felt hard stone digging into his spine, concrete scratching his skin, a cylindrical object digging into his ribs—

_The power cells. _

His eyes flew open immediately. Heedless of his surroundings, what had happened, how badly he might be injured, Ludwig blindly flailed for the briefest touch of a rough canvas pack he could barely remember protecting. Never mind the pain lancing through his legs, or his head, he could _not __let __the __cells __be __destroyed..._

His hand closed around it. Rock shifted and cracked as Ludwig struggled upwards. He pulled it, frantically dragging the tattered pack to his chest, only to hear the clink of metal, feel the unbroken smoothness of whole, perfect power cells.

They were safe. _They __were __safe._

Ludwig exhaled, sagging back down in pure relief, as the pain he had ignored finally came rushing in. And by pain... It was _agony. _He was just barely aware he was in pain at all before it slammed into him as easily as a dozen tons of concrete.

It paralyzed him. He could not move, he could hardly breath, voice smothered in a throat that was caked with dust. As black flickered across his vision, he was suddenly aware of being flat on his back without even remembering falling.

_Damage. Assess the damage._

Ludwig bit his lip. Despite the extreme exertion it took to keep his eyes open, the small sting was enough to keep his mind going albeit sluggishly. The next step was to take a very large, very controlled breath... only for his lungs to reject the air in a series of harsh, jarring coughs. Liquid dribbled from his mouth, along with the plain sound of something snapping.

_Broken __rib,_ Ludwig thought blankly, _maybe __two... __or __more. __Internal __bleeding__— __not __good. __What __else...?_

His head was killing him, for one. Forget his ankle along with that— it it were anything less than a shattered leg he would consider it a miracle. He thought to move his arms, see if they were damaged in any way, but when he was only able to half-heartedly raise a trembling hand and find it caked with blood, he quickly lost interest.

Static played faintly in his ear, another reminder of what was broken.

"G-Gilbert..." Ludwig rasped, "K-Kiku... Alfred, Arthur..."

No reply. All transmission was gone, an unfathomable thing as Kiku's radios were time-proven to last through _anything._

Except, it had happened.

And he was alone, in the middle of nowhere... while seriously injured on top of that.

For the first time it occurred to Ludwig that he would not be returning to base camp alive. Followed by a deep feeling of shame, for failing to complete his mission when everyone depended on him, and then anger at himself for letting his guard down. It didn't occur to him to blame Alfred for anything. It wasn't _his _fault; the world they lived in was just that kind of place in which freak accidents happened.

Maybe he should just let his eyes close, slip back into darkness to save himself the pain...

Ludwig immediately discarded that last thought, for it wasn't the type of thought he thought at all, and he would be _damned_it he let himself slip away without any struggle on his part. There were dozens of people depending on him. He had a team who most likely presumed him dead.

He would tryand get of this alive, even if it— well, killed him.

Thus it was through pure force of will that Ludwig hauled his aching, battered body up, bit by bit. He could feel his bones shift and crack, fractures, breaks, and unbroken all grinding together, making it feel as if he were being stabbed over and over with a dull knife. Blood sprinkled the ground; he still couldn't determine the sources, but on the other hand he didn't really want to know. Ludwig only gritted his teeth, choking back the bile welling up in his throat until he finally managed to push himself into a decent sitting position.

A fuzzy landscape of blobby towers of grey met his vision almost cheerfully. Try as he might he couldn't blink it all away. He could see— maybe a few feet? Was all, before the rest blurred together completely. He could not recognize as single thing, either; the landscape had completely and utterly changed around him, leaving nothing of the path he had come by.

…Ludwig felt sick to his stomach. False instincts were telling him to lie back down and sleep, but what good would that do? Instead he felt for the precious pack of power cells until he could clutch them securely. Trying to shoulder it again was something else— it felt as strenuous as his morning climb had been. How long had it been since then? Had the others given up on him?

There was still static in his ear, for that matter, and surely they would have done everything in their power to reopen the connection...

"Wait for me..." Ludwig whispered, even though his transmission was lost, "I'll be back. Just... wait..."

The only answer was the static.

Then Ludwig began to crawl, inch by agonizing inch, through the wreckage.

Walking? His leg was a bloody mess, far from holding any kind of weight. The other seemed to have miraculously escaped beyond a few bone-deep bruises, still strong enough to push him forward as he scrabbled for handholds. It was like climbing, he thought to himself dully, except it wasn't down. Just one hand in front of the other, slow and steady as not incur injury, find all the right grips.

Direction wise Ludwig had just relied on a rough sense of intuition (Read: guessed) and gone from there. Landmarks weren't worth looking for as anything beyond the immediate ground in front of him just went blurry and useless.

It was probably his fault then that he stopped paying attention to his surroundings in his mindless struggled forward, focused only on what he reached for next. Thus when he literally stumbled into open space, his brain didn't have the chance to warn the rest of the body that there was nothing to crawl onto, and Ludwig abruptly dropped like a stone with a strangled cry.

The fall itself wasn't far, maybe a foot, but for Ludwig, it was like the _thing _from before had come crashing down all over again. Simply put his entire body felt as if it had shattered into a million pieces.

And this time, he couldn't pull himself back together.

* * *

><p>He passed out again.<p>

It was harder to open his eyes, in what felt like an age later. Heavy and tired, swimming in black, Ludwig could barely open them.

He did. The only thing he could. Everything else... nothing. The moment he fell, it was as if all the pain had broken him a thousand times over until finally, it cut off— leaving him numb and unfeeling. He could not move; not even a finger. Ludwig could hear his heart pounding in his chest, so impossibly loud he was afraid it had somehow fallen out. The moment of delirium soon passed, but left him with a horrible, aching piece of knowledge that he really was going to die.

Shuddering, draw in air with shaking lungs, Ludwig simply lay there, with the power cells he'd worked so hard to protect still with him. What would the others do... everyone else?

_Gilbert... __Alfred... __everyone..._ he thought, feeling his senses slip away for what would most likely be the last time, _I __couldn't... __I'm __sorry..._

His eyes closed...

...Or would have, had a sudden flare of color not caught the corner of his eye. Squinting in confusion, Ludwig tried to focus on this strange sight. He could only see a blur... A blur of pure, undirtied white.

White.

That was a color he hadn't seen for a long time. So why, in the middle of a disaster zone, was such a perfect color existing?

This small thought was ultimately what save him. Even though his brain had mostly shut down by now, even though he seemed physically unable to move, it was this one driving point of curiosity that woke him.

I wasn't like he had anything to lose now. Besides, the pain had numbed, hadn't it?

Ludwig moved. It was just a return to his painful shuffle before the fall, shuffling over the ground at an agonizing inch-by-inch basis, but he was moving. The mystery white was set in his sights, so bright and clean...

It was all he could think of. Moving forwards, the object began to grow as he came near, the edges clearing, becoming solid until... dizzy and sick, he hovered over the white figure, close enough to reach out and touch.

Ludwig did so. It took him a moment to be able to comprehend that the smooth, silky texture under his fingertips was fabric.

Fabric encasing a still arm.

Fabric of a pure white shirt, clothing the very still body of a _human._

Ludwing blinked _hard. _Then again. But the image did not fade; right in front of his eyes was a _person._

...What was a person doing here, so far from any base he knew? How had he gotten here? Had he gotten caught in the impact as well? Since it _was_a he, he noted with a good bit of embarrassment... the only garment this stranger had was the pure white shirt that had captured his attention.

...Only, he was so still. Was he dead? That was a horrible thought. It gave him a brief sense of clarity, enough for him to shuffle over until he could see this person's face.

His eyes were still dull. But it was enough to see the a swath of smooth tanned skin, of strands of hair in a rich, deep auburn, almost red against the white of his shirt and the gray of the ground.

The stranger's eyes were closed. Almost as if he were simply sleeping. Ludwig swallowed heavily, feeling the blood crack in his throat. With shaking fingers, he tried to place two fingers against what he hoped was a pulse, wincing as he left a line of red across pure fabric.

What felt like a minute passed. Despite his fingers pressed firmly against warm skin, he could feel no heart beat. Another minute. Two...

Ludwig almost gave up and pulled away, when there was a quick and sudden pulse as he stumbled directly into a heart beat.

Right after that, he was nearly deafened when his radio abruptly burst into life in a flurry of static.

"—_LET __ME __GO! __LET __ME __GO, __HE'S __MY __GODDAMNED __BROTHER __YOU__—"_

"_Gilbert! Please— he's gone! There's nothing you can do—"_

"_SHUT UP! I SAID LET THE HELL GO!"_

"_You idiot, will you stop—"_

Gilbert. It was Gilbert, yelling at the top of his lungs, with what sounded like Alfred and Arthur restraining him. His loud, stupid brother, coming to get him even if everyone assumed him dead.

At that point there might have been tears streaming down his cheeks, but Ludwig honestly didn't care as he fumbled for the earbud, nearly dislodging it from his person all together, just to speak before it died again and he was stranded—

"Gil...? Can you... hear... me?" he rasped, sure that they would never hear him, until all the voices stopped in stunned silence.

Next thing he knew Gilbert was screaming himself hoarse, Alfred was sobbing incoherently, and Kiku had done the impossible and raised his voice to shout along with the others, and in the back ground Arthur was demanding to know just what the bloody hell was happening.

While Ludwig, too exhausted to speak much, simply keeled over next to the strange man he had found, unable to believe that everything was working again.

As his team scrambled on the other end of the radio, vowing and promising his rescue, he tilted his head to look one last time at the other.

_Who __are __you? _He wondered, before at long last, allowing himself to sleep.

* * *

><p>.<p>

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[A/N]: Wow, this bit turned out... long. But you guys like long chapters, right? D: In other words, MYSTERY!

Thank you for those who reviewed, and added this to their watch lists! I appreciated it all! Stay tuned for the next installment of TSTS!


	3. Satellite

**To Shatter the Sky **

**Chapter Three**

* * *

><p>Hey you.<p>

_Me...?_

Yes. Who else would I be talking to?

…_?_

Idiot. You're all messed up. You're supposed to be awake.

_I'm supposed to be... awake?_

Yeah. You know, when you open your eyes.

_Why...?_

...Because you're alive now?

_...Alive...?_

…_..._

Did you... Break?

* * *

><p>.<p>

A rancid smell suddenly permeated the darkness. In a flash Ludwig was awake, recoiling automatically from the disgusting scent only to be stopped midway by a hand on his shoulder, a hand pushing him firmly back down.

"Easy, lad," came an amused voice, "Last thing we need is you jumping around and tearing something. Especially after what you've been through." The voice was warm, albeit tired, but also very, very familiar.

Ludwig blinked away the blur in front of him, something he'd been doing a large amount of lately, to find he was was on his back, staring up. A bright light shone above. He squinted, trying to block the glare, in order to see...

Eyebrows. A very thick pair of eyebrows.

"How are we feeling today?" Arthur questioned him, and the rest of his face came in to view. He was smiling, screwing the cap back on to a vial of smelling salts. "Ludwig? Can you speak?" The medic's forehead creased in worry when Ludwig failed to react, only staring in disbelief. "Oh, dear. You remember who I am, right? Quick, tell me your name and birthdate!"

"You found me?" Ludwig croaked instead, scaring himself with the wheezing rattle issuing from his throat.

"What? Of course we did, but that wasn't what I asked—"

"Where are...?"

"You're in the shuttle! Now please reassure me that you've retained your memory..."

"WEST!?"

Shouting and the sound of a curtain being ripped aside heralded the sudden and dramatic entry of a solitary, white-haired figure, standing frozen at the threshold of the tiny space that was the medic bay. He was considerably less muscled than the patient in the bed, and seemed to be in a state of shock if his wide red eyes were any indication. He was also very pale, but then, that could be because Gilbert Beilschmidt, Ludwig's older brother, happened to be albino. Seconds later Ludwig found himself seized in a massive hug by Gilbert, who promptly shoved Arthur out of the way and squeezed the injured man as tightly as he could while crying and babbling with relief.

Unfortunately Ludwig could not respond, mainly from the decent amount of pain erupting from various places around his body.

"GILBERT! LET GO OF HIM THIS INSTANT!

"YOU'RE ALIVE, YOU'RE A—"

"HE WON'T BE MUCH LONGER IF YOU DON'T LET GO!"

"LUDWIG'S AWAKE?"

"Please, if you could all be quieter, I would like to see him as well..."

"BRO? SAY SOMETHING, YOU DON'T LOOK GOOD!"

"OUT! EVERYONE OUT!"

Things got out of hand quickly. With Gilbert, Alfred, _and _Kiku crowding in the tiny space, Arthur lost his temper and kicked them all resoundingly out.

"Idiots, the lot of them..." he grumbled, "Let's hope they didn't tear anything..." the medic ran a hand through bedraggled hair, distracted, then hastily returned to his patient's side, nimble fingers peeling back the thin blanket that covered him.

Able to breath again, Ludwig looked down. He swallowed, very thickly.

"That bad?" he asked quietly. Arthur was busy inspecting the wide swath of bandages completely covering his torso, but he paused.

"Three broken ribs, broken femur, shattered ankle..." the medic began to list off injuries, voice subdued, "Cracked fingers, broken arm, cracked tibia, cracked _molar,_ rock shards imbedded in your back, concussion, and the _stitches_ I performed... it is an absolute _miracle _that you survived what you survived" The man finished his inspection, satisfied that nothing had been upset. He sat back down heavily and sigh. "I was barely able to save your back in time, as it is. You almost were paralyzed."

Silence lapsed after this statement. Ludwig digested the information. He was beginning to feel the state of his body now— stiff, sore, immobile. He could feel the casts on his legs, and the one on his arm. With the arm that wasn't bound he reached with up to brush the thick bandage around his head. Movement was slow, clumsy— no doubt Arthur had him on every drug known to man. A thought occurred to him...

"...The power cells?" he asked, voice still as rough as gravel, "You found them?"

"...What? _Those?_" Taken aback, Arthur looked as if he wanted to laugh if not for the seriousness of the situation. "Of course, but we've hardly thought about them considering what we almost lost in exchange..."

Ludwig ignored that last bit.

"...Good..." he sigh instead, dropped his head back down. By now he could recognize the cot beneath him. Feeling was returning to him by the minute, sans the pain.

Arthur seemed to think he was close to passing out again though, as he bopped his patient lightly on the head.

"No falling asleep!" he ordered, waving the smelling salts in his face, "I woke you up for a reason. You never _did _answer my ques—"

"My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt, my brother is Gilbert Beilschmidt, my birthday is two-thirty-seventh day, I have blue eyes, and I am from base camp North-42," Ludwig recited in perfect clarity, well acquainted with the medic's memory loss questionnaire.

"Oh. Well." Flabbergasted with the suddenness, Arthur spluttered for a moment or two on nothing.  
>"Uh, that is, I also gave you an extra dose of bone-growth," he quickly added instead, "So, uh, if you feel anything coming in wrong... that is, I'll take some of your casts off soon... oh, bollocks, I hate it when you do that!"<p>

That being said, Arthur stood huffily and stormed away, ripping the curtains aside and disappearing beyond. The corners of Ludwig's mouth twitched; the medic was temperamental as always. Still, heeding the other's words on his bone-growth, the scavenger shifted his limbs as much as he could with the casts, experimenting. He didn't _feel _anything out of place. Bone-growth was a handy medicine, designed to accelerate the regeneration of bone tissue in a matter of hours instead of weeks, but it was not unheard of for the serum to backfire and grow more than was intended...

Luckily nothing creaked or grated funny, so he assumed it was all was well.

The euphoria of being rescued, of being _alive _was slowly beginning to drain away, leaving him still happy, but now quite tired. He was warm, he was comfortable, he was no longer in pain, and as Arthur had stormed off, he was probably free to pass back into blissful sleep. With that exact thought in mind, Ludwig settled back on his pillow and closed his eyes. He felt the softness of the mattress underneath, the soothing texture of the blanket over him. Voices, issuing from beyond the curtain of the medical bay began to fade, disoriented and uninteresting.

A heart monitor beeped. It had been for a while. Oddly, it bothered him, enough that he frowned and opened his eyes again, despite body protesting lack of sleep, and puzzled over why the sound was so grating. A second later, he had it: It wasn't his heartbeat beating. It was someone else's.

At that moment Arthur stormed back into the sick bay with a black canvas bag, muttering under his breath. The medic pointedly ignored Ludwig, still miffed, focusing his attention elsewhere. Notably on the other side of the small medical bay... Where, the scavenger suddenly remembered, was another bed.

"...Why won't you wake up?" Arthur murmured. His bag was open, tools sprouting from the edge and Ludwig watched, brows furrowed in thought as the medic administered to some unseen patient blocked from his view. A few minutes of concentrated silence passed, before Arthur shook his head and leaned back.

"I don't understand. There's nothing _wrong _with you," he said irritably, falling into a well-known pattern of speaking aloud to imaginary listeners.

Had someone... else... been injured? No, he'd clearly seen Arthur, his brother, and the other two members of the crew, so then who—

_Oh. _

As Arthur _tsk'd _under his breath, he was moving aside to examine a problem elsewhere, and as he did, revealed the second patient in the bed to full view, and it was in that moment that Ludwig's breath stuck in his throat as he remembered.

Lying on the bed, as still and quiet as when he had found him, was the stranger from the ruins.

Arthur's attention flicked back to him as he struggled to rise, wanting to see better.

"...Since you're awake, I might as well ask a few questions about... this one," he said, gesturing downwards to his patient. Ludwig winced as his ribs protested, but more or less managed to push himself into an awkward propped up position. He could actually _see _the man he had found now. The stranger's hair was still the rich auburn he remembered from the hazy memory of before, but as he stared with sharpened eyes he began to take in details; delicately boned cheeks, the soft hollow of a slender neck, a nose that had never been broken in its life. Blankets rose and fell in the gentle pattern of sleep. In the end, it was almost... eerie, the way the stranger's face was the picture of perfect contentment, despite where he had been found, in the wake of what had happened...

"Ludwig!"

A sharp voice. Ludwig jumped, snapped out of scrutiny.

"I— sorry, what?"

"How did you find him?" Arthur repeated, annoyed. The medic had seated himself squarely between the two patients, waiting for the words from one while keeping an eye on the other. "He isn't— I mean, there's not a single— I've never seen anything like it, and I've never even _heard _of a base way out here."

"...I wish I could tell you more," Ludwig sighed. There was a small ache in his head, and he rubbed at the thick bandages in discomfort. "I simply found him. On the ground."

"What, just like that? Stop touching those."

"It's true. I wish I had more information, but..."

"...Did you shield him from the satellite?" the medic questioned, "It would explain a few things if you did."

"What? No. I found him after." The scavenger frowned. "Did you say a satellite?"

"Oh. Yes, I did."

With a deep breath, Arthur squared his shoulders.

"Ludwig, old boy, you must have the most rotten luck in the world," he said dryly, "If a satellite decided to drop plumb out of orbit right on top of you. Out of all the places it could have bloody landed, your grid was it."

Ludwig stared. Stared some more.

"A _satellite?_" he repeated weakly, hardly able to even take in the concept, and Arthur chuckled nervously.

"Hard to believe, isn't it? The strange signals Alfred was getting were actually the thing's landing patterns. Not that they worked. Apparently it crashed a few kilometers off course; which as you know, happened to be in your area. Congratulations."

The medic threw his hands in the air, shaking his head in exasperation, while Ludwig tried to muster some response other than numb shock, but failed.

A satellite. A _satellite._ He had nearly been crushed to death by a _satellite from space._

"But— why? How?" he groaned, still slightly horrified, "Those don't just decide to fall!"

"How the bloody hell should I know?" the medic said, shrugging, "This one did. Maybe it was in low orbit, maybe it bumped into something and was knocked off course. Either way, it fell, and you almost died."

Arthur suddenly smiled, a tired smile that spoke volumes of relief. "I must say, though, for all that it decided to land on you, you must have a _little _bit of good luck in the fact that you _lived._"

As quickly as the affection came, it was gone, replaced by a more serious expression as the bushy-browed man gestured once again to the silent second patient.

"Now, you found him _after_ the shock? Are you, well, sure?" He ventured uncertainly, almost disbelievingly, and Ludwig nodded in slow confusion.

"Why? Is there something wrong with him?" he asked, trying to focus on the stranger again.  
>"Yes. No. Bollocks, that's just it, there's... there's nothing wrong with him. Nothing!"<p>

Arthur wrung his hands, strangling some invisible neck in frustration. "_You _were caught in the blast, and look like you went through a grinder. _This_ one doesn't have a single scratch on him! There's no head trauma, internal bleeding, broken bones, broken _anything! _He has normal breathing and blood pressure, normal temperature readings... in all appearances he's simply _asleep._"

He'd been growing more flustered by the minute, and the medic stopped to take a deep, calming breath.

"Frankly, I've run all the possible tests I can," he admitted in a quieter voice, "Everything short of brain scans. If he doesn't wake up by the time we get back to base, I'll run those too. It's just... I swear, the way he looks, and where we found you two, it's as if... as if he fell from the sky."

A faltering silence. Then Arthur snorted, shaking his head. "Right then, I'm off the deep end if I'm actually contemplating humans falling out of the sky. Tell me my good man, how did you end up in the middle of the bloody crater?"

"The middle?" Having been silent through Arthur's tirade, Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

"Smack in the middle. The satellite itself was true and utterly totaled; look outside, you'll see it smashed itself to pieces."

"I can't say," Ludwig said with a shrug, "When I woke up, I wasn't exactly thinking clearly. I simply crawled until I couldn't..." he trailed off, thinking of the dark moments after the thing— no, the satellite— had crashed. Something must have shown in his eyes, as Arthur suddenly broke in with a cheerful "Right! Let's check some of your casts now."

Up he jumped, forcing Ludwig to lie back down and rummaging through his bag of tools.

"...It's been that long?" Ludwig asked, confused. Healing broken bones with Arthur's serum took a few hours at the least...

"It's been five hours since you managed to reconnect with us, lad," Arthur supplied the info promptly, "I administered the stuff as soon as I could. Basically treated you right where we found you, you know," he added, coming up with a flat handheld screen and a long, thin knife. "We had no chance of moving you in the condition you were in. Thus on the ground it was! Including the casts. Moving you to the med bay was the _last _thing we did. Fancy that." The medic looked disgusted at this unspeakable breach in protocol, then shook the handheld until it released an off-key hum.

Ludwig processed these words. The corners of his mouth tipped downwards in a faint frown. Something in Arthur's words had seemed… off. What was it...? He'd figure it out. For now, he watched as the medic bent over to run the screen over the scavenger's broken arm, for it was in fact a small, portable X-ray, and Arthur was nodding to himself as he followed the clean, unbroken line of bone illuminated in ghostly white.

"...And everything looks okay there," he confirmed with some satisfaction. "Hold still please, wouldn't want to cut you up..." Now taking up the thin knife, he took great care in sliding the blade under the heavy cast. Ludwig shivered involuntarily; the metal was icy against his skin.

"DAMMIT, I CAN'T WAIT ANYMORE!"

Arthur jumped a foot in the air, knife jerking perilously. There was a loud tearing sound as the curtain separating the medical bay from the rest of the shuttle was bodily pulled from its rings. Gilbert Beilschmidt had forced his way back in, red eyes glinting and a broad grin plastered across his face.

"What the— BEILSCHMIDT!" Arthur roared indignantly, jumping to his feet and clean forgetting all about the knife, half imbedded in the cast. In the meantime Ludwig went stock-still, not wanting the edge to slice through his skin.

"Man, I spent _hours _waiting for him to wake up and you can't just kick me out!" Gilbert was arguing, valiantly wrestling against Arthur's attempts to throw him back out; the medic managing quite well despite his smaller physique. He was stuck though when the albino managed to grab at grooves in the metal walls, to which he clung with steely conviction.

"Just... get... out!" the smaller man puffed angrily, grappling awkwardly against the other.

"No!"

"You stupid— yes! This is not a playground, this is a_ medical facility!_"

"It's an extra space in a shuttle, it's not even a proper room, c'mon!"

"Don't you argue with me, you idiot!"

"Yeah? Stupidhead!"

"Wanker!"

"Eyebrows!"

"_Prick!"_

"_Dummkopf—" _

"As much as I like listening to y'all fight and stuff, could you boys cut it out and maybe ask Luddy what he actually wants?" A voice drawled out, obviously Alfred from the amusement he was keeping back.

"Oh, yeah! Hey, bro! Bro, tell this guy you want to see me!" Gilbert instantly brightened, though his fingers unfortunately weakened from their iron grip. Arthur promptly dislodged him with a loud war cry, and the two went tumbling to the floor.

"Ah, young love..." Alfred sighed loudly, with heavy emphasis. There was a _thwap _and a yelp of pain.

"Right then. I suppose it is your choice and all." The medic returned, rubbing his sore arms and ruffled temper from the whole exchange and grumbling all the way.

"I don't mind. Right now I'd rather have you take the knife back," Ludwig said faintly, and Arthur jumped in horror as he remembered the rather sharp instrument imbedded perilously close to skin.  
>"...What? Oh! Of course, terribly sorry..." He hastily took the knife again, splitting the cast neatly down the side in a move that only took a second. It was fairly easy to peel back after that.<p>

In the meantime Gilbert bounced back with a wide grin, dropped down to sit at the foot of Ludwig's bed… and stared. Stared some more. Stared until his eyes started watering and Ludwig felt just a bit awkward from the intensity.

"Did you want to _say _something, or…?" he said irritably, and Gilbert caught himself in time to scrub furiously at what might have been tears, hiding it with a hysterical sort of giggle.

"Nuh-uh, I wasn't crying. That- That was just dust from the crater you made! A huge crater!" the albino exclaimed, "What the hell did you do to get yourself in a crater like that? I mean _bro, _you were- you were _ground meat. _Why'd you have to go and _scare the hell _out of me like that, you stupid- god, you idiotic-"

If Arthur and Ludwig realized he was babbling at this point, they didn't say a word as Gilbert drew a long, shaky breath, crimson eyes reddening further in a way he'd probably deny later. He shuddered, then dropped all pretenses for a uncharacteristically serious expression. Leaning close over his bedridden brother, his next sentence was clear:

"Don't you _ever _pull a stunt like this again, do you _understand _me? Or I swear to god I'll leave your ass stranded wherever it is, I don't even _care _where!" Gilbert threatened, eyes narrowed as they fixed Ludwig with such a glare that he flinched involuntarily.

"Gil, it's not like-"

"_Do you understand me?"_

"Gilbert, you're having a panic attack," Arthur muttered distractedly, carefully splitting one of the casts on his patient's leg, "Take deep breaths, I won't have you passing out when we're out of bunks."

The albino blinked, and realized that yes, his breathing was coming in short, uneven patterns, and that Ludwig was looking at him in concern.

"Oh. Um. My bad." Gilbert gulped some much needed air, calming the trembling in his limbs.

"Ha ha," he said sheepishly, "Uh, forget that whole thing. Like you'd get a satellite to drop on you on _purpose_, right? Sheesh, what was I saying? Totally not awesome!"

He burst out laughing. If he had the strength, Ludwig would have face palmed at his brother's ability to pull a complete one-eighty when it came to moods. In the end, though, he smiled faintly.

"I understand. I won't let satellites drop on me ever again," the blond said, letting just a bit of humor creep into his words, and Gilbert sniffed, letting the last of his half-formed tears leak into the fabric of his sleeve.

"I'd hug you again, but this guy here would probably kill me," he chuckled weakly, and Arthur quickly glared.

"Yes. I would," he glowered. "Now Ludwig, your right leg isn't quite up to snuff yet, so the cast stays on there. Your concussion—"

The bushy-browed medic began to ramble out terms and other medical jargon, which the two tuned out instinctively.

"So you just found that guy? Just like that?" Gilbert jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the mystery man in the other cot, the disbelief clear on his face. "Since, you know, he isn't injured or anything. That's kind of freaky."

"…"

"…and in conclusion, I must to ask you to leave the room so that Ludwig can catch up on his sleep. The body does amazing things with a good night's rest—"

"What!? Hell, I'm not leaving! Here, I'll sit right here. Go ahead and sleep, Luddy!"

"Er—"

"Are you daft? If I leave you alone, no doubt you'll manage to aggravate his injuries by _being _here!"

"Aw, c'mon man! Cut me some slack, he almost _died_ out there!"

"And thank the heavens he _didn't. _Now get out."

"Look here, you—!"

Shifting uncomfortably, Ludwig stared rather helplessly as two faces turned red from mounting tempers. How the two always managed to work themselves up over nothing, he'd never know. Would he even be able to stop them…?

"Hey, both of you…" He began, irritation creeping into his words, but it didn't even register as they ignored him and continued to argue.

"Guess what? You guys weren't even bothering to _find _him when the radio blew! It was only me!" Gilbert snarled, red eyes flashing, while Arthur bristled in response.

"Alfred and Kiku were doing e_verything _they could to reach him, and we went over _all possible _options when we regained contact! Don't you _dare_ suggest otherwise! _We were following the code of common sense and nothing more!_"

"WHICH WOULD HAVE MEANT LEAVING HIM THERE!"

"_Gilbert Beilschmidt _you are _just as aware _on how things work in this _god-forsaken _wasteland as we are which means you _must be prepared for when things go beyond your control!"_

...At some point, Ludwig realized, the argument had gone from the usual clash of egos to something far more charged. There was something he had missed out on feeding into the tension in the air, growing thicker by the second...

"Don't talk to me like that. Don't talk about _my brother _like that." The albino was quivering. Instead of angry red, he'd gone white, all the color bleached from his face.

"Maybe you should wake up and _look at the facts_. The fact we regained contact with Ludwig was a _miracle._ The fact that we got to him as fast as we did, however, was decidedly… _not._"

Opposite him, Arthur had fallen into a deadly calm, thick brows furrowed as he stared the other down. But his teeth were grinding as he spat out his words.

"Coming here to rescued your brother was a _gamble, _Beilschmidt, one that, as of yet, we _do not know the outcome of."_

"If we hadn't—!"

"_Do not get me wrong,_ I do not regret it! In your shoes, I would have acted the same! But please keep your head and _think,_ that in your _insistence _on rescuing your _brother, _you pressured us _all _in to _performing a ruddy—"_

"WOAH, HA HA, EVERYBODY STOP ARGUING AND CALM DOWN!"

In mid-sentence, Alfred F. Jones burst into view, blue eyes wide in panic and arms flailing as he abruptly jarred all words from emerging. Gilbert and Arthur snapped to attention as one, glaring at the interruption from the team's best navigator. Said navigator was fidgeting nervously in place, eyes darting back and forth behind wire-rimmed glasses.

"Um… yeah," he said lamely, quickly lowering his hands to his side. "Er, Luddy needed rest, right? He totally can't relax with the racket you guys are making. It was getting pretty intense! Uh, haha, Kiku was getting nervous, and I think things were going in a weird direction…?"

He scratched his head, scattering strands of blond while an odd expression came over the contender's faces.

"Oh. Bollocks," Arthur muttered, looking horrified. "G-Gilbert, I didn't mean."

"Nah. It's cool. Crap." Gilbert himself was suddenly grim, dropping his head with a grimace. "I think we said too much…"

"Would someone…" Ludwig growled, having been soundly ignored for the entirety of the last few minutes and quite fed up with it,

"…_Please _tell me what the _hell _is going on here?"

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[A/N]: ...wow, I last updated when? Er, sorry about that. I ended up doing other things, so I haven't really worked on my fics until recently. Also, I had massive writer's block on how to end this chapter...

But! Now that I'm back at it it should be easier to start making frequent updates again... Please forgive me for the long absence, and I hope this chapter is good enough despite the wait. Plus, I've realised that my life goal is to get a TVT tropes page for a story I've written, so... MAX WRITING AND UPDATING.


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